The Doggernaut Keeps on Rolling.

[CENTURION]

Centrals started $1.40 favourites for the 2006 premiership.

ridiculous odds, if you go back and look at that side it wasnt that great, if i remember we only secured the top 3 spot late in the season and lost more minor round games that year than any other since 2000.

and lost Varcoe, Hurn, Hopwood, Healy, Bello, Hay & Arnott at the start of the season!

[whufc]

Whats scary is you take a look at the side from Sunday and how many blokes are under the age of 25.

Without looking at a budget i would say there would be a fair few, Templeton, Hardy, Schiller, Havelberg, Barmby, Sutherland, Hannath, Boyd, Jenner, Goodrem, Spurr, Habel, Williams, O'Hara. Then throw in injured/reserves blokes who have played league like Dutschke, Dunne, Hynes, Reichart and there is no reason this cant roll on for a while yet.

We are definatly not an old playing group and there is no reason alot of these blokes wont become 5+ year players.

[Jim05]

Whats scary is you take a look at the side from Sunday and how many blokes are under the age of 25.

Without looking at a budget i would say there would be a fair few, Templeton, Hardy, Schiller, Havelberg, Barmby, Sutherland, Hannath, Boyd, Jenner, Goodrem, Spurr, Habel, Williams, O'Hara. Then throw in injured/reserves blokes who have played league like Dutschke, Dunne, Hynes, Reichart and there is no reason this cant roll on for a while yet.

We are definatly not an old playing group and there is no reason alot of these blokes wont become 5+ year players.

Hopefully the AFL clubs rape you and they all head interstate

[whufc]

Whats scary is you take a look at the side from Sunday and how many blokes are under the age of 25.

Without looking at a budget i would say there would be a fair few, Templeton, Hardy, Schiller, Havelberg, Barmby, Sutherland, Hannath, Boyd, Jenner, Goodrem, Spurr, Habel, Williams, O'Hara. Then throw in injured/reserves blokes who have played league like Dutschke, Dunne, Hynes, Reichart and there is no reason this cant roll on for a while yet.

We are definatly not an old playing group and there is no reason alot of these blokes wont become 5+ year players.

Hopefully the AFL clubs rape you and they all head interstate

Yeah always a worry but honestly i cant see to many of those names going to AFL clubs.

At most i would think Spurr may go and then maybe Goodrem to West Sydney at a stretch.

[Jim05]

Wouldnt be suprised if you lost 4 or 5 of them

[Grahaml]

Wouldnt be suprised if you lost 4 or 5 of them

I would. Maybe a few of the guys playing reserves who are younger, but the main senior squad, I think Lee Spurr's best chance was last year with Gold Coast. Maybe Templeton at a stretch, merely because he's so new to footy and Schiller would be a massive roughie to get onto a rookie list perhaps. All in all, I think we're far more likely to not get any of our GF 21 drafted.

[csbowes]

Why are some Dogs supporters sooooooooooooo sensitive about criticisms of the league and their premierships?

... people can criticise Sturt's dominance from 1965-1978 all they want, it wouldn't bother me.

I don't think anyone (well no one with brains) would say the SANFL is as good now as it was pre-Crows. There's no doubt the players in the local competition now would be whipped by the teams from 20+ years ago. Let's be honest with ourselves, there were AFL standard players running about in 1985-1990 in local teams and competing with the Victorians. Just think of who dominates the competition now and compare them to the dominant players from the mid-1980s and before...

Is it really a crime to say that Michael Graham, Jack Paynter, Greg Whittlesea and so on are a better combination of attacking players than what Sturt puts out nowadays? Is Davies better than Kurtze? Surely we're talking reality here?

Central are having the greatest period of one-team dominance the league has ever seen. Does this moment in the sun mean they have earnt the right to stand side-by-side with Sturt, definitely does. Are they Port Adelaide? Certainly not... but no one is and no one probably will be, it's not something for people to get shirty about.

The SANFL isn't as good now as it once was...

That's just fact...

As a result, lots of people are going to say 1960s flags or 1980s flags are more impressive... during the 1980s we all used to laugh at Norwood winning a bunch of flags before federation. Today is no different, Central are winning in a less impressive era of the league, its just how it is...

... that said, I'll take five Sturt flags in a row starting next year in a heart beat.

I'm more concerned about the brand... even some Dogs fans say the league has become predictable and boring.

[StrayDog]

Don't know about that Andy - in 2006 I think Central were the 3rd best team, the Eagles were clearly the supreme team of that season.

I dunno BP. After the 2nd semi, most people thought "here we go again,4 in a row".
Or was that just me?

No, your name certainly wasn't "Crusoe" on that front.

[The Apostle]

Centrals started $1.40 favourites for the 2006 premiership.

Thankyou

Do you know what the Eagles were? $1.41?

They were paying $2.55...

[Jase]

I wish you doggies supporters would keep your head down until after the GF.

Remember 2002? I do

So do I, got married that day, was a dark dark day...

[Barto]

zzzzzzzzzz

Bet you wouldn't be snoozing if it was Sturt having this run Barto?

Of course not, but if we had 12 grand finals in a row I could understand how the rest of the comp would see it.

[tipper]

Why are some Dogs supporters sooooooooooooo sensitive about criticisms of the league and their premierships?

... people can criticise Sturt's dominance from 1965-1978 all they want, it wouldn't bother me.

I don't think anyone (well no one with brains) would say the SANFL is as good now as it was pre-Crows. There's no doubt the players in the local competition now would be whipped by the teams from 20+ years ago. Let's be honest with ourselves, there were AFL standard players running about in 1985-1990 in local teams and competing with the Victorians. Just think of who dominates the competition now and compare them to the dominant players from the mid-1980s and before...

Is it really a crime to say that Michael Graham, Jack Paynter, Greg Whittlesea and so on are a better combination of attacking players than what Sturt puts out nowadays? Is Davies better than Kurtze? Surely we're talking reality here?

Central are having the greatest period of one-team dominance the league has ever seen. Does this moment in the sun mean they have earnt the right to stand side-by-side with Sturt, definitely does. Are they Port Adelaide? Certainly not... but no one is and no one probably will be, it's not something for people to get shirty about.

The SANFL isn't as good now as it once was...

That's just fact...

As a result, lots of people are going to say 1960s flags or 1980s flags are more impressive... during the 1980s we all used to laugh at Norwood winning a bunch of flags before federation. Today is no different, Central are winning in a less impressive era of the league, its just how it is...

... that said, I'll take five Sturt flags in a row starting next year in a heart beat.

I'm more concerned about the brand... even some Dogs fans say the league has become predictable and boring.

ok, while i agree that previous eras may have had a higher standard of competition, i think that this only makes Centrals dominance recenty even more impressive, not less.

all of the reasons given for the SANFL being a "lesser" competition have effected Centrals as well. they have not been somehow immune to the effects of the expansion of the AFL. they have just managed these effects far better than any other club at our level. Sure, no club has a superstar to carry the team. North dont have a Barry Robran that can single handedly win the game for them playing on one leg, Port dont have Russel Ebert waving the black and white flag, but people forget that Centrals also dont have a Johnny Platten playing for them either. (please forgive my ignorance, i am not as up to speed with other sides great players as i am with Norths, i just picked a couple of players that i knew, and i realise that Platten didnt play his whole career at centrals)

no one has been better at recruiting players that want to play for their club, not just turn up for a year or two to make some quick cash, or kill time while trying to get back on an AFL list. (just look at North Adelaides record with big name recruits.....) look at the recruits that Centrals have brought to the competition, and how many have stayed for lenghty periods.

i also believe that currently it is harder for an SANFL club to hold a list together for an extended period of time. with the sort of money being thrown around elsewhere, any club that has a stand out season gets pillaged by those with bigger cheque books (ie AFL), however Centrals have somehow managed to successfully maintain a core group from one season to the next. yes they have had players move on (for various reasons) but unlike other clubs, they have avoided a disasterous mass exodus. in the time that Centrals have been so dominant, nearly every other club has peaked and then subsequently fallen away (with the possible exception of the eagles, who while missing the last few grannies, have still remained at the pointy end of the ladder). The Eagles are teh exception, maintaining a pretty high standard through most of the last 12 years, but then you have North in 07, Sturt in 02, and again in 09, Glenelg in 08, and currently Norwood going well.

IMHO the "fact" that Centrals are winning in a less impressive era of the league, makes their record more impressive, not less. If it was so easy to win a flag in the current era, why is it that only Sturt and the Eagles have managed to pinch one each in the time that centrals have racked up 9? shouldnt we all have won at least one flag if it was easier now, than it was in years gone by?

basically i dont think it is a crime to say the competition is somehow not as good as what it was 20, 30 or more years ago, but i will disagree with anyone who tries to use that to tarnish what Centrals have accomplished. i only wish that North can replicate, and then better Centrals example, but the reality is that the chances of any side doing that are remote at best.

Sorry for the wall of text, and i dont necessarily expect anyone to agree with me (well, maybe the doggies fans will agree )but i just wanted to post up my opinion. also, go Norwood

[Apachebulldog]

Well said Tipper you are spot on after Central has had its run and another club achieves the same results are we going to have this same argument i hope not as premierships won in any era are still hard earned premierships and i agree the Central dominance is so impresive because of a level playing field ie the salary cap as i have said before and as you have stated Central and the Eagles are the only two clubs who have adapted to the modern era.

[Leaping Lindner]

I think Central's dominance of the competition is amazing, and if it was North I'd be loving it. Having said that I also loved Jimmy Allen picking up his third Magarey medal but there is no way I rate that alongside Barrie Robran's three medals.

[FRED]

Anyone interested we have a bus leaving the Somerset Hotel, Para Hills for the GF at about 1.00pm, returning after the game. Afew seats still available @ $15.00 return. PM me if interested.

[andyw]

Stop living in the past.Seriously its like..."the older we get , the better we were".Sturt were AWESOME in the 60s, Port were AWESOME in the70s,80s and 90s, North early 70s and the Dogs in the 2000s. you can only beat your opposition on the day in that particular era. If you reckon the comp isnt as good nowadays, I'd suggest you might be just a tad jealous of Centrals dominance. Get over it.....

[andyw]

Stop living in the past.Seriously its like..."the older we get , the better we were".Sturt were AWESOME in the 60s, Port were AWESOME in the70s,80s and 90s, North early 70s and the Dogs in the 2000s. you can only beat your opposition on the day in that particular era. If you reckon the comp isnt as good nowadays, I'd suggest you might be just a tad jealous of Centrals dominance. Get over it.....

And I forgot Norwood winning 10 flags between '78 and '91. (in the 1800s) would of been pretty Awesome too

[fish]

Stop living in the past.Seriously its like..."the older we get , the better we were".Sturt were AWESOME in the 60s, Port were AWESOME in the70s,80s and 90s, North early 70s and the Dogs in the 2000s. you can only beat your opposition on the day in that particular era. If you reckon the comp isnt as good nowadays, I'd suggest you might be just a tad jealous of Centrals dominance. Get over it.....

And I forgot Norwood winning 10 flags between '78 and '91. (in the 1800s) would of been pretty Awesome too

Yeah we didn't whinge and moan when Norwood won all those flags back in the 18th century!

[Dogmatic]

There are pro's and con's for every era.
Most of the people have an opinion to suit their own allegiance.
However stat's don't lie.
At least there are finals now.

[CENTURION]

WHO CARES ANYWAY? WE'RE WINNING!! AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO HAPPEN!!